Over the past 24 hours, Donald Trump has unleashed a raging tweetstorm in response to the Russia indictments, furiously trying to vindicate himself, proclaim his innocence, and re-litigate his election.
In the history of Trump tweeting, it's something to see.
The tweets started Friday, shortly after the news that Robert Mueller had indicted 13 Russian nationals for interfering in the U.S. political system.
Tweeted Trump: “Russia started their anti-US campaign in 2014, long before I announced that I would run for President. The results of the election were not impacted. The Trump campaign did nothing wrong – no collusion!”
Russia started their anti-US campaign in 2014, long before I announced that I would run for President. The results of the election were not impacted. The Trump campaign did nothing wrong – no collusion!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 16, 2018
He repeated the tweet the next day. Desperation.
Funny how the Fake News Media doesn't want to say that the Russian group was formed in 2014, long before my run for President. Maybe they knew I was going to run even though I didn't know!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 17, 2018
Trump's tweet was, of course, immediately disputed.
News outlets that reported this fact (partial list):
—Wash. Post.
—NY Times.
—NPR.
—CNN.
—Fox News.
—ABC.
—NBC.
—CBS.
—MSNBC.
—PBS.
—AP.
—Reuters.
—New Yorker.
—BuzzFeed.
—Daily Beast.
—BBC.
—Slate.
—Vox.
—Atlantic. https://t.co/iG3jjJArx9— Paul Farhi (@farhip) February 17, 2018
He then began trying to use supporting characters to support his false argument.
“Charges Deal Don A Big Win,” written by Michael Goodwin of the @nypost, succinctly states that “the Russians had no impact on the election results.” There was no Collusion with the Trump Campaign. “She lost the old-fashioned way, by being a terrible candidate. Case closed.”
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 17, 2018
Deputy A.G. Rod Rosenstein stated at the News Conference: “There is no allegation in the indictment that any American was a knowing participant in this illegal activity. There is no allegation in the indictment that the charged conduct altered the outcome of the 2016 election.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 17, 2018
The Fake News Media never fails. Hard to ignore this fact from the Vice President of Facebook Ads, Rob Goldman! https://t.co/XGC7ynZwYJ
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 17, 2018
“I have seen all of the Russian ads and I can say very definitively that swaying the election was *NOT* the main goal.”
Rob Goldman
Vice President of Facebook Ads https://t.co/A5ft7cGJkE— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 17, 2018
Wired adds: “Goldman maintains that the Russians were not trying to influence the election, in part, because they organized protests on “both sides,” which is true. Some of the Russians' propaganda efforts were designed simply to cause confusion, distrust, and sow division. However that doesn't mean they weren't also attempting to do everything in their power to ensure Clinton wasn't elected. The IRA had dozens of full-time employees and spent over $1 million a month on its efforts, according to the indictment.”
Trump then tried to predictably blame the FBI's flub on rooting out the school shooter by repeating the conservative claim that it was because they were spending all their time trying to undermine him.
Very sad that the FBI missed all of the many signals sent out by the Florida school shooter. This is not acceptable. They are spending too much time trying to prove Russian collusion with the Trump campaign – there is no collusion. Get back to the basics and make us all proud!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 18, 2018
He then responded to remarks from his own national security adviser HR McMaster, who told an international audience that the indictments represented “incontrovertible” evidence that the Russians had meddled.
Tweeted Trump: “General McMaster forgot to say that the results of the 2016 election were not impacted or changed by the Russians and that the only Collusion was between Russia and Crooked H, the DNC and the Dems. Remember the Dirty Dossier, Uranium, Speeches, Emails and the Podesta Company!”
General McMaster forgot to say that the results of the 2016 election were not impacted or changed by the Russians and that the only Collusion was between Russia and Crooked H, the DNC and the Dems. Remember the Dirty Dossier, Uranium, Speeches, Emails and the Podesta Company!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 18, 2018
He then tried to further discredit the FBI with a claim about Obama.
Never gotten over the fact that Obama was able to send $1.7 Billion Dollars in CASH to Iran and nobody in Congress, the FBI or Justice called for an investigation!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 18, 2018
He then made a spurious claim in response to some marks made by House Intelligence Committee member Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA).
Schiff had said to NBC News, of Russia's cyber campaign: “We should have called them out much earlier. While I respect the motive in terms of the Obama administration, they didn't want to be seen as meddling, the American people had a right to know what was going on and could be trusted to do the right thing with it. And they should have defended being more public and aggressive at the time, at least in my view.”
Finally, Liddle' Adam Schiff, the leakin' monster of no control, is now blaming the Obama Administration for Russian meddling in the 2016 Election. He is finally right about something. Obama was President, knew of the threat, and did nothing. Thank you Adam!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 18, 2018
Trump then tried to walk back some of his statements from last year:
I never said Russia did not meddle in the election, I said “it may be Russia, or China or another country or group, or it may be a 400 pound genius sitting in bed and playing with his computer.” The Russian “hoax” was that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia – it never did!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 18, 2018
Before returning to Adam Schiff:
Now that Adam Schiff is starting to blame President Obama for Russian meddling in the election, he is probably doing so as yet another excuse that the Democrats, lead by their fearless leader, Crooked Hillary Clinton, lost the 2016 election. But wasn't I a great candidate?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 18, 2018
Finally, Trump tweeted this morning: “If it was the GOAL of Russia to create discord, disruption and chaos within the U.S. then, with all of the Committee Hearings, Investigations and Party hatred, they have succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. They are laughing their asses off in Moscow. Get smart America!”
Which NY Times reporter Maggie Haberman declared “accurate.”
This tweet is accurate. https://t.co/8vFy8vGWmc
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) February 18, 2018
If it was the GOAL of Russia to create discord, disruption and chaos within the U.S. then, with all of the Committee Hearings, Investigations and Party hatred, they have succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. They are laughing their asses off in Moscow. Get smart America!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 18, 2018
Stay tuned, it's surely not over.
